“So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 25:17
As we come to the end of Leviticus, Moses delves into the Law of Sabbath Year and Jubilee. The Israelites were to work the land for 6 years and allow it to go fallow on the 7th; to give it a Sabbath. The Year of Jubilee was a Celebration every 50 years, or the year after the 7th Sabbath Year. It too was a Year of Rest for the Land, no plowing, trimming, or harvesting, all Land sales were to revert back to the original owner, and Israelite Slaves would be set free. That is the Context of how we read Today’s Verse.
Because Land Sale “worth” had this in mind, where if you sold your land, it would return back to you in the year of Jubilee, it was really valued according to how many Harvests the Land would produce. This Verse is a Warning against asking more or giving less than the Land’s productivity made it worth. But notice the impetus behind the Warning, “you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God”! It brought into focus the Reality of “God Is Watching” you!
And though this is a summary statement regarding the Year of Jubilee, it is also applicable to All of Life, and, at Any Time. That word “wrong” could apply to Any Sin against our Neighbor. Fearing God is appropriate in preventing us from “wronging” one another. As most of you know, the Law is summarized in Loving God and Loving our Neighbor. But see how they are intertwined here! Essentially, we are Loving and Obeying God “when” we Love One Another. See also how Obedience is defined; “fear your God”. Our Love for God has interwoven into it a Holy Fear. As I noted yesterday, God Is Holy! His Being and Person should elicit a Fear and Dread. There is nothing wrong with that and it should be normal for every Christian. One Again, how thankful we should be to Jesus who made access to God possible!!!
Yes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” Proverbs 1:7